Industrial protective clothing



3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invenors Miam ey- Sept. 2, 1958 T. H. ASHLEY Ei-ALINDUSTRIAL 'PROTECTIVE CLOTHING Filed sept. 28,' 1953 w @may'Ibm/(Ashley 4 George Gea.i

T. H. ASHLEY ETAL INDUSTRIAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING sept, z, 195s 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 28, 1955 'mnuunnn.lunuullunllhull nnllnnnnuuunulunv *N aune" me Imren tors f TmHAshley +Geor 9e Gee United StatesPatent G y 2,849,786 I INDUSTRIAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING Tom Hindle Ashleyand George Gee, Hyde, England,

lassignors to James North &'Sons Limited, Hyde, England, a Britishcompany Application September 28, 1953, Serial No. 382,542

4 Claims. (Cl. 28-80) This invention relates to industrial protectiveclothing, of thel kind (hereinafter described as the kind referred to)consisting of a base of textile fabric coated with a plastic substance(such as polyvinyl chloride), whether natural or synthetic, and isparticularly, though not exclusively, applicable to industrial gloves ormitts and boots or shoes.

It is known in the manufacture, by dip moulding, of rubber gloves, toreinforce those areas which are subject yto the greatest wear, byproviding a raised exterior pattern thereon from a grooved pattern onthe former. Such pattern also helps to give extra grip or non-slipproperties and additional strength, but this method of manufacture isnot applicable to a glove having a base of textile fabric.

The object of the present invention is to provide protective clothing ofthe kind referred to having a raised pattern giving reinforcement andanti-slip properties.

The invention is based upon the discovery that a loop or otherrelatively isolated free and raised thread in the base fabric, causesextra plastic coating material to collect thereat, and in theappreciation that such eiect can be used toprovide reinforcement of thedesired character.

According to the invention protective clothing of the kind referred tois characterised in that at least part of the base fabric has aplurality of loops or other relatively free and raised formations sospaced and arranged as to provide isolated collecting locations to holdextra coating material and thereby adapted to provide a raised patternof reinforcement.

The expression raised formations in defined isolated locations is usedherein to distinguish from the mere use of fabric having an overalllooped surface, as in so-called terry towelling, or a fabric having abrushed or raised surface the raised fibres of which are known toproduce a roughened surface.

The invention will be described further by way of example with referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a front view of a fabric base for a glove made in accordancewith the invention;

Figure 2 is a rear view of the palm portion of the fabric baseillustrated in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a detail view of part of the surface of the fabric baseillustrated in Figures l and 2;

-Figure 4 is a front view of a finished glove which includes the fabricbase illustrated in Figures l, 2 and 3;

Figure 5 is a rear view of the finished glove corresponding to Figure 2,and

Figure 6 is a detail view of the finished glove corresponding to Figure4, but on a larger scale.

In the example illustrated in the drawings a glove according to theinvention is made from a fabric base 11 of knitted cotton material withan outer layer of polyvinyl chloride applied thereto by a dipping,draining and curing process, such processes being known in the art. Inone such process for instance the fabric base 11, which is pre-fashionedto glove shape, is supported on a metal 11 of the glove.

2,849,786 Patented Sept. 2, 1958 former, and is dipped into a bath ofpolyvinyl chloride of controlled viscosity4 so that the polyvinylchloride is keyed onto the `fabric base by an onlyv partial impregnationof the fabric base, so that, Whilst the outer thicknessv` of the fabricbase serves to hold the polyvinyl chloride as a ycontinuous film, theinner thickness of the fabric base is left free from impregnation so asto be capable to taking up moisture from the users skin, the polyvinylchloride eventually being cured by the sudden application of a hightemperature to render it permanent.

Figures l to 3 of the drawings illustrate the fabric base That part ofthe fabric which forms the entire front surface 11a of the glove, thethumb 11b and the portion llc of the base lying at thev rear and in linewith the index finger is made on a knitting machine in such a mannerthat parallel lines 12 of loops 12a are formed across the fabric atapproximately spacing. The loops 12a are produced so that they standclear of the fabric surface by about %2 (see Figure 3) to provide aplurality of isolated collecting locations to hold extra polyvinylchloride.

From this fabric is then cut a piece shaped to form the front and thatportion of the fabric base lying at the rear and in line with the indexlinger, and a further piece for the thumb. These pieces are machined upin known manner with a complementary piece of normally knitted.

fabric to form the prefashioned fabric base 1l in the shape of a glove(Figures l, 2 and 3f).

This fabric base 1l is then mounted on a former (not shown) and by meansof the known dipping and curing process hereinbefore referred to, thepolyvinyl chloride outer layer 13 is obtained. During this process it isfound `that an extra amount 14 of polyvinyl chloride is held by therelatively free and outstanding loops 12 so as to form thickened raisedisolated reinforcing ribs 15 in lines on the outer surface of the glovethus simulating the pattern of reinforcement previously obtainable onlyin a dip moulded article (see Figures 4 to 6).

Clearly the invention is not limited to the details of the example abovedescribed. The fabric base need not be of cotton nor need it be ofknitted structure. Any type of fabric, provided it is capable of beingso produced as to have the necessary relatively free and raisedformations, and is suitable for the coating process, could be used. Asin the example particularly described hereinbefore, only part of thefabric base need be provided with the reinforcement forming formations,although in some cases it may be desired that the whole of the articleshould be provided with reinforcements in which case the base wouldconsist entirely of .the special fabric. The pattern of reinforcementsis not restricted to transverse lines and a variety of patterns could bedevised, according to the use and purpose of the finished article.Further alternative plastic substances (natural or synthetic) could beused in the dipping process, although polyvinyl chloride has been foundeminently suitable. The invention, of coures, as previously implied,although particularly applicable to industrial gloves or mitts and bootsor shoes may find other and equally useful applications in the field ofindustrial. protective clothing.

What we claim is:

l. Protective clothing comprising a base fabric, some of the threads ofsaid fabric being doubled in the form of loops extending out of saidfabric transversely to the plane thereof, the height of said loops beingsubstantially greater than the thickness of said fabric, said loopsbeing closed at the surface of said fabric, a plurality of lines ofloops each formed by a group of said loops being in alinement, saidlines being spaced apart a distance substantially greater than theheight of said loops, and a coating of a plastic substance on saidfabric and said extending loops to form a continuous plastic surface onsad clothing," whereb'ysaid vclothing is reinforced and has araised'patternimpartng"anti-slip properties thereto.'

2. Protective clothing according to claim 1 in which a plurality of said-lines are spaced widely apart; Y

3. Protective clothing .according to claim 1 iny :which 5 said lfabric,forms alglove in which saidilines arel spacedf transversely,L ofsaidg1ove-at about-7%: inch.V

4..Pr0tective clothing accordingo Claim lfin whichi said fabricforms-ag1ove in whichrthe-pa1m`,f,thumbgxzlo inner face of fingers andreary of index 'inger have said A raised spattern.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITEDV STTES PATENTS GarveySept. 24, 1918 Anderson Oct. 10, 1933 Kahlmeyer Oct. 24, 1933 ReponyJan. 2, 1934 Lipschultz Dec. 31, 1940 Glucki May :11; 1943 Colt et-al-..Apn 24,1944wv Bodle etaL. Mar.l 28,',1950 Foster Dec:` 2,1952

